Motor pump



May 28, 1935. c. R. SESSIONS MOTOR PUMP Original Filed June 8, 1921INVENTOR G H HRLES Rossmssssmus 'Flq'l WITNESSES:

Patented May 28, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OF'Fl CE 3.002.907 Moron PUMPCharles Robert Sessions, San Francisco, Calif.,

assignor, by mesne assignments, to Menhorn, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., acorporation of California Application June 8, 1921, Serial No. 476,092

- Renewed March 19, 1928 25 Claims. (01. 103-87) This invention relatesparticularly to a combined motor and pump which may be submerged in theliquid to be pumped without causing injury to the motor.

An object of the invention is to provide a combined pump and motorwhich, because of its small size, may be submerged in the liquid inbored wells, small pits, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device, of the classdescribed, in which mechanical friction on the operating parts isrecover the invention in whatsoever duced to a minimum in conjunctionwith means for automatically lubricating the moving parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device, such asdescribed, readily adaptable to varying head and capacity conditionswhich conduces to standardization and together with the relatively largecapacity of the water cooled motor, will cheapen manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form ofsubmersible motor having a fluid seal which prevents the entrance .intothe motor of any of. the fluid in which the motor is submerged. Otherobjects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

Certain features of my invention are not, however, limited to acombination of a motor and pump, nor even to a submersible motor, butfind utility in other capacities.

In this specification and the annexed draw-. ing, the invention isillustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to such form, because itmay be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that inand by the claims following the description, it is desired to form itmay be embodied.

In the accompanying one sheet of drawings Fig. l is a vertical sectionthrough a portion of a combined motor pump, constructed in accordancewith my invention.

' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section, similar to Fig. 1, showing a modifiedform of construction of the motor stator.

- In detail, the construction illustrated in the drawing (Fig. 1)comprises, the rotor I, of a motor, mounted on a shaft 2, and carriedand supported for rotation by the radial ball bearing 3 and a combinedradial and thrust ball bearing 4. The inner races of the bearings 3 and4 fit snugly on the shaft 2 and are held in place thereon by a shoulderon .the said shaft, a spacer piece 5, a lock washer 6, and a combinedlock nut and seal piece or sleeve 1. The bearings 3 and 4 are immersedin lubricant 50. The lubricant is prevented from escaping into the waterintake II, by a body of mercury 30, contained in an annular recessformed in the housing l4, and into which a lip of the seal piece 1extends to form a fluid trap which seals in fluid-tight relationship thejunction of the shaft 2 and the housing i4 which forms a part of a motorcasing enclosing the motor. A lubricantretaining cap 39 is fastened tothe top of the housing l4 for holding the lubricant 50 between thehousing l4 and shaft 2.

An impeller 8 is secured on the reduced lower end of the shaft 2 by abolt ID. A key 9 is arranged between the impeller 8 and shaft 2 toprevent said impeller from turning. The upper end of the motor issupported in a head 25 which has an outlet discharge pipe 26 connectedthereto which leads to a point of discharge. The head 25 is connected byan outer shell 22 to an annular ring I5, which is connected to thecircular bottom plate l2 by means of the studs l6 and gasket IT. Theplate l2 has an intake pipe H therein into which'water or the like maybe drawn. The motor and pump shell would be submerged so that onrotation of the impeller 8 water is drawn into the pipe II and passedout from said impeller into and through the diffusion or guide vanes l3,formed integrally with the housing i4 and annular ring G5.

The hub clearance, on the suction side of the impeller, is packed orsealed by close fitting resilient collar ll reinforced and supported bya tubular member IS. The member i8 rests on a shoulder formed in arecess in the bottom plate l2, and the said member I8 is prevented fromturning by lugs IS on said shoulder which extend into notches in themember It. The upper edge of the collar I1 is turned over horizontallyand secured on to the upper face of the bottom plate i2 by a ring disc20 andscrews 29.

While the resilient collar H is held snugly inengagement with theimpeller 8 and base plate I2 and forms a water tight joint therewith itis sufficiently flexible to follow the impeller hub and to assume analigned position therewith.

The stator laminations 46 of, the motor are carried in a shell 24connected at its upper end to the head 25 of the pump, the lower end ofsaid stator shell 24 being connected by the shell 23 to the housing M.The liquid that passes from the guide vanes 13 moves upwardly in thepassage, formed between the outer shell 22 and the shells 23 and 24,into the head 25 where it converges and is delivered out through the pip26.

- A flexible air bag 21, circular in contour,. is arranged around thehousing l4 in a pressureequalizing chamber defined between the shell 23and the housing i4. The bag has an opening therein which communicateswith an air passage 28 formed inthe housing. leading to the space aroundthe rotor i. The shell 23, between the stator shell 24 and housing l4,protects the air bag 21 and makes a smooth water passage between theconcentric shells. A plurality of passages 29 are cut through thehousing 14, through which water is admitted into the pressure-equalizingchamber in contact with the outer surface of the bag 21, causing'thesame to be, compressed until the pressure in the motor air space isequal to the external pressure on the seal around the shaft 2, formed bythe seal piece 1 dipped into the mercury 30 containedin an annular cupshaped recess formed in the housing 14. The oil or lubricant 50 restingon the mercury will depress the same slightly as shown. On the externalor waterside of the mercury seal any air trapped at the start of theimpeller would be absorbed by the revolving water with which it wouldmix. The bag 21, passage 28, and

. mercury seal recess may be so proportioned to take care of pressurevariations in the pump so that the mercury will not be forced out of itscavity. Although I have shown and described pneumatic means forequalizing the pressure on the mercury seal it is to be understood thatany one of the number of equivalent equal- I izing means might besubstituted in lieu thereof. The. air in the rotor space cannotbeabsorbed by the liquid being pumped, nor can any moisture or the likeenter the rotor space through the mercury.

The housing 14 is secured to a ring base 3| holding the statorlaminations 46 in the shell 24 by the use of the bolts 32. A ring 33 issecured to the stator shell 24 and extends within a recess formed in thering base 3| -for holding the stator laminations 46 during winding andassembly. A pair of insulating members 34 and 35 are arranged onopposite sides of the stator laminations 46 and are held in place by thepressure between the housing l4 and the head 25.

Lead wires 42, 43, and 44 are conveyed through a water tight conduit. 4|and through an air tight plug of insulating material 40 into and throughthe head 25. Suitable terminals extend through the stator laminations 4Band are connected to the lead wires. The space around the stator coilsis filled with oil or other insulating material. A duct 45 communicatesbetween the top of the oil space around the stator winding and the airspace above the rotor winding and hence equalizes the pressure on thisairgap surface and protects the material. The insulating pieces 34 and35 maybe omitted, to-- gether with the oil, so that by substituting alarger bag 21 and seal, the motor may be operated simply as an enclosedmotor.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 2, I provide laminated statorteeth 46' separated from a laminated stator core 46". Theteeth 46' areheld in. position by insulating material moulded into the slots betweenthe teeth. The material 41 extends above and below the stator and servesthe purpose of the pieces 34 and 35 described in Fig. 1.

It should, of course, be apparent to one skilled in the art that mymotor may be used as a submersible motor independent of its directattachment to a pump in which case the fluid in which the motor issubmerged will exrt a pressure on the bag 21 to regulate the pressure onthe-mercury seal.

In the appended claims I have termed the structure enclosing the motoras a motor casing, or merely as a casing when not referring to themotor, while the structure enclosing both the pump and the motor hasbeen termed a motor-pump housing for purposes of distinction.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:-

1. A device of the class described, comprising: a motor casing; anelectric motor in said casing; a shaft on said motor extending throughsaid casing; a fluid seal, related to said motor shaft, for sealing thehub joint between said shaft and said casing in fluid-tightrelationship; and means functioning upon the operation of said motor forchanging the pressure on said fluid seal. 7

2. A device of the class described, comprising: a motor casing; anelectric motor in said casing; a shaft on said motor extending throughsaid casing; a pump connected to said shaft, said motor casing and saidpump being submerged in an external fluid and changing the pressure in azone exterior of said motor casing; a fluidpacked seal, related to saidmotor shaft, for

sealing the hub joint between said shaft and said casing in fluid-tightrelationship; and means for controlling the pressure on said fluidpackedseal as a function of the pressure in said zone.

3. A device of the class described, comprising: a motor casing; anelectric motor in said casing;

a shaft on said motor extending through said casing; a pump connected tosaid shaft; a fluid trap, related to said motor shaft, for sealing thehub joint between said shaft and said casing in fluid-tightrelationship; and a pneumatic means in said casing to control the pressure on said fluid trap in response to pressure variations set up bysaid pump.

4. A device of the class described, comprising: a motor casing; a motorin said casing; a shaft on said motor extending through saidcasing; apump operatively connected to saidshaft adjacent said motor; apressure-displaceable sealing means between said shaft and said casing;and means operable by the fluid being pumped by said pump forcontrolling the pressure on said sealing means.

5. In a submersible motor, the combination of a motor casing; a statorin said casing; a rotor operable in a rotor space of said stator; ashaft on said rotor, said shaft extending through said casing; a fluidseal at the junction of said shaft and said casing, said fluid'sealhaving surfaces respectively communicating with the interior of saidmotor casing and with the exterior of said casing; and means forsubstantially equalizing the pressures on said surfaces.

6. Ina submersible motor, the combination of: a motor casing; a statorin said casing; a rotor operable in a rotor space of said stator; ashaft on said rotor, said shaft extending through said casing; a mercuryseal at the junction of said casing; a fluid seal between said shaft andsaid casing; and pressure-transferring means responsive to changes ofpressure outside said casing for correspondingly changing the pressuresinside said casing, said pressures inside I and outside said casingbeing transmitted to said fluid seal.

8. In combination: a casing adapted to be positioned in an externalfluid and containing a body of lubricant; a motor. in said casing; ashaft associated with said motor and extending from said casing; abearing in said casing and lubricated by said lubricant for joumallingsaid shaft; and a fluid seal for sealing the junction of said shaft andsaid casing, said seal having one surface communicating with saidexternal fluid and another surface in pressure-transferring relationshipwith said lubricant.

9. In combination; a casing adapted to be positioned in an externalfluid, said casing including a pressure-equalizing chamber communicatingwith the interior of said casing and with said external fluid; a shaftrotatably mounted in said casing and extending therefrom; a fluid sealfor sealing the Joint at the junction of said shaft and said casing,said seal having separated surfaces communicating respectively with theinterior of said casing and with said external fluid; and means in saidpressure-equalizing chamber and in contact with the external fluid insaid chamber for maintaining the pressure in the interior of said casingsubstantially equal to the pressure of said external fluid.

10. In a submersible motor-pump unit, the combination of a motor-pumphousing having inlet and outlet ports therein; a motor and a .sponse topressure variations of said external fiuid.

11. In a submersible structure adapted to be operated beneath thesurface of an external liquid, the combination of walls defining a motorchamberanda pumping chamber, said pumping chamber communicating withsaid external liq: uid; a motor in said motor chamber; a pumping meansin said pumping chamber and adapted when operated to change the pressureinsaid pumping chamber; connecting means operatively connectingsaidmotor and said pumping means; sealing means at the Junction of'saidconnecting means and said walls and providing internal and externalportions respectively communicat- 4 ing with said motor chamber and saidpumping chamber; and pressure-transfer means communicating with saidpumping chamber and With'l said internal portion of said sealing meanswhereby changes in pressure in said pumping chamber are transmitted toboth said internal and external portions of said sealing. means.

12. .In a submersible structure adapted to be operated beneath thesurface of an external liquid. the combination of: a casing; a shaftextending from said casing; bearing means in said casing for iournallingsaid shaft, said casing containing a body of lubricating medium forlubricating said bearing means; walls defining portion communicatingwith the interior of said casing and an external portion communicatingwith the external liquid in said pumping chamber whereby said externalportion of said seal is subjected to the changes in pressure conditionsin said pumping chamber; and a pressure-transfer means communicatingwith said pumping chamber and with said internal portion of said sealfor transferring to said internal portion of said seal the changes inpressure conditions in said pumping chamber.

'13. In combination: a motor casing; an electric motor in said motorcasing and including a stator providing a gas-filled rotor space and a.rotor insaid rotor space; a stator winding associated with said stator;walls defining achamher around said stator winding, said chambercontaining a body of liquid; and walls defining a passage communicatingbetween said chamber and said rotor space.

14. In combination: a motor casing; an electric motor in said motorcasing. and including a stator providing a gas-filled rotor space and arotor mounted to rotate about a vertical axis,

said rotor being positioned in said rotor'spacer said stator of saidelectric motor being around said rotor and adapted to rotate same; wallsdefining a liquid chamber below said rotor space and containing a bodyof liquid, the surface of which is in open communication with the gas insaid rotor space; a sealing means for sealing said shaft with-respect tosaid motor casing; and pressure-transfer means communicating with'opposite sides of said sealing means for transferring pressuretherebetween.

15. -In combination: a motor casing; an elec:- tric motor in said motorcasing and including a stator providing a gas-filled rotor space and arotor mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, said rotor beingpositioned in said rotor space, said stator forming a part of saidelectric motor and being positioned around said rotor to 1'0- tate same;a stator winding on said stator; walls defining a chamber around saidstator winding, said chamber containing a body of liquid in contact withsaid winding; walls defining a passage communicating between saidchamber and said rotor space; walls deflninga liquid chamber below saidrotor space and containing a body of liquid the surface of which is inopen com-' munication with the gas in said rotor space; a sealing meansfor sealing said shaft with respect to said motor casing; andpressure-transfer means communicating with opposite sides of saidsealing means for transferring pressure therebetween.

16. In combination in a submersible unit: a stationary member comprisingwallsforming a chamber; a rotatable member extending through said walls;cup means secured to one of said members and extending around saidrotatable member, said cup means containing a liquid; a sleeve securedto the other of said members and extending into said liquid contained insaid cup means; and pressure transfer means communieating with oppositesides of said sleeve to correspondingly change the pressure on one sideof-said sleeve when the pressure on the other side of said sleevechanges, thereby preventing excessive displacement of said liquid.

17. In combination in a submersible unit: a stationary member comprisingwalls forming a chamber; a rotatable member extending through saidwalls; cup' means secured to one of said members and defining an annularspace extendspace containing a liquid; a sleeve secured to the other ofsaid members and extending in said annular space and into said liquidtherein; a bearing means positioned in said annular space for rotatablymounting said rotatable member; and pressure-transfer meanscommunicating with opposite sides of said sleeve to correspondinglychange the pressure on one side of said sleeve when the pressure on theother side of said sleeve changes, thereby preventing excessivedisplacement of said liquid in response to variations in pressuredeveloped by the operation of said pump. Y

18. A device of the class described, including in combination: a motorcasing; a motor in said casing; a shaft operatively connected to saidmotor; a pump operatively connected to said shaft; sealing means at thejunction of said shaft and said motor casing andcommunicating with theinterior of saidmotor casing; a pressure means controlling the pressurein said motor casing and including a movable member one side of whichcommunicates with the interior of said motor casing; and means fortransmit ting the pressure of the fluid pumped by said pump to the otherside of said member to vary the pressure in the interior of said motorcasing.

19. In combination in a structure adapted to operate adjacent a zone ofvarying pressure: a casing; a shaft extending from said casing; afluid-packed seal at the junction of said shaft and said casing, oneportion of said seal communicating with said .zone of varying pressureand another portion of said seal communicating with the interior of saidcasing whereby a pres-' sure differential between said portions tends todisplace the fluid in said fluid-packed seal; and.

a pressure-transfer means communicating with both portions of said sealand responsive to the pressure variations in said zone exerted on saidone portion of said seal to correspondingly change the pressure in saidcasing acting on said other portion of said seal.

20. In combination in an electric-motor structure adapted to operateadjacent a zone of varying pressure: walls defining a motor chamber; amotor in said motor chamber; a vertically extending shaft operativelyconnected to said motor and extending through said walls;pressure-transfer means for transmitting the varying pressure insaid.zone to said motor chamber and including walls forming apressure-transfer chamber vertically spaced with respect to said motorchamber, said pressure-transfer meansincluding walls defining a passagecommunicating between said motor chamber and said pressure-transferchamber to transfer pressures between these chambers, saidpressure-transfer means also including walls defining a passagecommunicating between said pressure-transfer chamber and said zone ofvarying pressure to transfer to said pressure-transfer chamber thevariations in pressure in said zone; and means functioning upon'theoperation of said motor for changing the pressure in said zone.

21. In combination in a structure adapted to operate submerged in aliquid: walls forming a chamber containing a body of lubricant; a shaftextending from said chamber through said walls; a seal at thejunction'of said shaft and said walls and separating said lubricant fromthe liquid in which said structure is submerged;

walls defining an auxiliary chamber communimunicating between 'ingaround said rotatable member, said annular eating with said seal; meansfor changing the pressure in said auxiliary chamber; and pressuretransfer means for transferring to said lubricantthe pressure variationsin said auxili ary chamber, said pressure-transfer means including apressure-transfer chamber, walls defining a passage communicatingbetween said pressure-transfer chamber and said chamber containing saidlubricant, and walls defining a passage communicating between saidpressuretransfer chamber and said zone of varying pressure wherebypressure variations in said auxili- .said chamber; pump meansoperatively connected to said motor for changing the pressure in saidzone; and pressure-transfer means for transferring pressure between saidmotor chamber a'nd said zone, said pressure-transfer means including apressure-transfer chamber positioned between said motor and said pumpmeans, and including walls defining a passage comsaid pressure-transferchamber and said motor chamber, and including walls defining a passagecommunicating between said pressure-transfer chamber and said zonewhereby pressure variations in said zone 'set up by said pump means aretransmitted to said motor chamber through the action of saidpressure-transfer chamber and said passages.

23. A combination as defined in claim 14 in which said motorvcasing ispositioned in a zone of varying pressure, and in which one side of saidsealing means is in pressure-transferring relationship with said body ofliquid in said liquid chamber and the other side of said sealing meansis in pressure-transferring relationship with said zone of varyingpressure, and in which said pressure-transfer means communicates withsaid gas-filled rotor space as well as with said opposite sides of saidsealing means to maintain'the pressure of said gas in said rotor spacesubstantially equal to the pressure transmitted from said zone ofvarying pressure to said other side of said sealing means.

24. A combination as defined in claim 20 in which said pressure-transferchamber is below said motor chamber, and including a wall separatingsaid motor chamber and "said pressuretransfer chamber, and in which saidpassage communicating between said motor chamber and saidpressure-transfer chamber is formed through said wall. I

25 A combination as defined in claim 20 in which said zone'of varying.pressure contains an external liquid and in which said motor chambercontains a body of lubricant, and including a sealing means preventingsaid external liquid from entering said motor chamber, said sealingmeans including a body of sealing fiuid separating said'external liquidand said lubricant and providing two separated surfaces, one inpressure-transferring relationship with said lubricant and the otherinpressuretransferring relationship with said external liquid in saidzone of varying pressure whereby the pressure on said other of saidsurfaces changes as the pressure in said'zone of varying pressurechanges.

- CHARLES ROBERT SESSIONS.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,002,901. May 28, 1935.

,cHARLEs ROBERT SESSIONS.

' f It is hereby certified that error appears in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows: Page 4, first column, lines 12-13-14, claim l7, strike'out thewords "in response to variations in pressure developed by the operationof said pump" and insert the same after the word "casing" and before theperiod in line 28, of claim 18; and second column, line 11-12, claim 21,for "zone of varying pressure" read auxiliary chamber; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that thesame may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 9th day of July, A, D- l935,

Bryan M. Battey (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,002,907. i v 2 May as, 1935.

CHARLES ROBERT SESSIONS. I It is hereby certifiedthat error appears inthe printed specification of the above numbered patent requiringcorrection as follows: Page 4, first colunm. lines 12-13-14, claim l7.stri'ke'out the words "in response to variations in pressure developedby the operation of said pump" and insert the same after the word"casing" and before the period in line 28, of claim 18; and secondcoluinn, line 11-12, claim 21, for "zo ne of varying pressure" readauxiliary chamber; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthese corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Office. I

Signed'and sealed this 9th day of July, A, D. i935,

' Bryan M. Battey (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

